Posts: 22,710
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Regina Saskatchewan Canada
I've used a drawknife to get mine started. Its a tool that requires some practise to get it working well.
Blackhat
Bad experiences come from poor decisions. So do good stories.
Posts: 2,581
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2012
Bill-
Anyway you could trim the stock so you can get the hollow auger started would work. You'd need to fuss with it a bit to keep it centered if you want the hollow auger to center the round tenon. A spoke pointer is just a quick and easy way to do it. A couple of turns of the brace and you have a nice bevel ready to accept the hollow auger. It takes longer to clamp up the stock than it does to bevel it. You can steer a hollow auger a bit so if you're off center you can correct it, but it makes for harder work. I think I paid less than $20 for my spoke pointer, but a quick search on *Bay only showed them for triple that price.
You can buy one new for that price from Lehman's, but I suspect you can find one for what I paid if you keep your eyes peeled. The real solution is a lathe, but where's the fun in that.
Phil